Twinkle Twinkle
by sherlock1921
Summary: In the future?


**Been trying to write fluff. All I can say is hats of to the wonderful people who postach brilliant pieces of fluff on this site, it's not easy. But whilst I was struggling I came up with this this story. Not long but I think it's quite sweet.**

Twinkle Twinkle

"Nana ! Tommy's taken my doll and hidded it."

The small blonde whirlwind had just burst into the kitchen and hurled herself onto one of the chairs at the large table and was now very keen to see what reaction her statement had caused.

_Nana _turned from the sink and wiped her hands before reaching for the milk and biscuits that were the standard remedy for moments like these.

"Hidden, darling, not hidded, and I'm sure that your brother hasn't got your doll, he was in the garden with your Grandpop not ten minutes ago talking about soldiers, if I'm not mistaken."

Ellie managed to convey more than her five years of life experience into the exaggerated roll of her eyes heavenward.

"Not soldiers again! It's all he ever wants to talk about. Stupid boy stuff. I ask you,"

"Well I suppose from your point of view it might seem to be stupid, but Grand pop was a soldier and Tommy likes to hear him tell stories about it."

"Yes Nana but it's all from ages and ages ago."

"Well from your point of view sweetheart I suppose it is a long time but to Grandpop

and I it doesn't seem so long ago."

Ellie briefly looked up from the plate of biscuits, her guileless truth trimmed by a milk moustache.

"Yes, but your old."

If her Nana thought privately that even at sixty five she didn't consider herself old her granddaughter thought that she was indeed ancient, so she decided not to argue the point.

"Well thank you for reminding me, I almost forgot."

Ellie looked at her Nana trying to decide if she was joking or not. Sometimes it was hard to tell.

"You're welcome."

Ellie's hand slid out and she snaffled another biscuit. She bit into it quickly before any comment could be made, because, as everyone knew, once you bit into a biscuit it was yours. You couldn't put it back.

"Save some for Thomas and leave room for supper please."

More eye rolling.

"Yes, Nana."

The kitchen door opened again and another small body launched itself at the table.

"oh! Biscuits, why didn't someone call me. Don't you dare eat them all Ellie. Nana Grandpop tells fibs he said that you helped him in his work, that you were very important and that you even got hurt when you were helping him. Everyone knows that girls don't do things like that don't they? Is he telling fibs Nana is he?"

His Nana looked at him stifling a smile Thomas was always so enthusiastic about everything it was one of his most endearing and frustrating traits.

"Your Grand pop doesn't tell fibs Tommy, you know how he feels about lies."

Two sets of rounded eyes stared at her with awe and a new found respect.

Thomas, the elder by a year recovered first.

"You really got hurt helping Grandpop in his work? Really?"

"Yes I did on a couple of occasions, but I'm fine now so there's no need for you to worry about anything."

Ellie's lip trembled a little.

"Was Mummy okay?"

"As you said my lovely it was all a long time ago, before your Mummy was even a twinkle in your Grandpop's eye."

Tommy snorted into his milk, his amusement plain even as he coughed. "Mummy was a twinkle, Mummy was a twinkle."

Ellie smiled dreamily, ignoring her stupid brother.

"I bet she was a pink twinkle cos' she's a girl."

Her Nana nodded as she mopped up the spilt milk.

"That's right darling" she said "Now you two go out and play."

A few minutes later her husband entered the kitchen. Just over eighty, he was still upright of bearing and although he had lost a good deal of his hair he still exuded a quiet charm and attraction.

"He regarded his wife, his head tilted in contemplation. She smiled at him waiting to see what he would say, she knew him so well.

"Care to explain Ruth why I just had the children pounce on me? Something about wanting to look at the twinkle in my eye?"

"Well you told Tommy that I had been hurt helping you fight the bad guys and Ellie got upset because she thought that her Mummy might have been hurt too, so I pointed out that it was before her Mummy was a twinkle in your eye."

"Ah, I see, Sorry, it never occurred to me. Is she alright?She seemed okay when she was clamouring all over her brother to get to me."

He crossed the room and slipped his arms around his wife's waist. She leaned into him smiling gently, and placed her hands on his chest.

"They are both fine."

"Good, I confess,when they both came out asking about the _twinkle_ I wondered what on earth you had said to them. Got me quite worried for a moment."

He got a poke in the ribs for that jibe.

"You should be worried...that twinkle is still dangerous."

As much to prove her point as anything else she kissed him. When they finally broke apart they saw each other ...as always ...the way they had seen each other after their first kiss all those years ago.

His smile was tender.

"I love you Miss Evershed."

"That's Lady Pearce to you."


End file.
